2019 | Mer Soleil | Reserve Chardonnay

The 2019 Mer Soleil Reserve Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay is nicely-packed and complete on the palate. This wine exhibits appealing aromas and flavors of green and red apples, a hint of minerality, and judicious use of oak.

Producer Information

Mer Soleil is a California wine estate that was established in 1988 in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA in Monterey County by the Wagner family of Caymus fame. It is best known for its pair of wines made from Chardonnay, though also makes Pinot Noir. The Reserve Chardonnay is fermented and aged in French oak barrels for around 11 months with the lees stirred by hand to achieve a creamy texture, To maintain balancing acidity, only a small quantity of the wine is subjected to malolactic fermentation. The Silver Chardonnay sees no oak, being fermented and aged in both stainless steel and small concrete tanks imported from France. The latter are unlined to allow a small degree of air permeability. A red wine from Pinot Noir, also grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands, is a more recent addition to the range. The wine spends around 7 months in barrel, using mostly new French oak to create toasty aromas. This is split into two plots in the Santa Lucia Highlands, and takes its name from the close proximity to Monterey Bay – 'la mer' meaning sea, and 'le soleil' meaning sun. The cooling effects of the sea mean that there is a slow ripening period and a later harvest. The grapes are therefore able to retain acidity as they ripen, which leads to balanced, complex wines. The Wagner family has established a number of other prominent Californian wine brands: Caymus, Conundrum, Emmolo and Red Schooner. The family first started winemaking in the Napa Valley after purchasing 28 hectares (70 acres) of land in 1906. The winery formed in 1915, but production was short-lived with the passing of Prohibition in 1919. In 1972, the Wagner family re-entered the wine business with the launch of Caymus Vineyards. Sixteen years later, Chuck Wagner branched out and started planting Chardonnay vines in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation, beginning the production of Mer Soleil Chardonnay. By 2001, Chuck's son Charlie F. Wagner II had taken the reins. In 2005 Charlie created the unoaked Silver Chardonnay label.

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